1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photosensitive layer laminator and photosensitive layer laminating method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a photosensitive layer laminator and photosensitive layer laminating method in which a photosensitive material can be handled easily, a photosensitive layer can be transferred to an entirety of a large transfer area, and modification of mechanisms can be easy when necessitated.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
A color filter for use in a liquid crystal display device, plasma display device and the like is produced by utilizing photosensitive material. For example, three photosensitive layers for primary colors of red, green and blue are overlaid on a substrate of glass, resin or other rigid material. Those are referred to as photo resist. A laminated panel is obtained, and subjected to exposure and photographic processing to produce the color filter according to a process of photolithography. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,684,925 (corresponding to JP-A 2002-148794) discloses a photosensitive layer laminator for producing a laminated panel. A photosensitive material includes a support film, and a photosensitive layer of resin overlaid on the support film. The photosensitive material and the substrate are respectively transported. Lamination rolls or heat/pressure rollers are disposed on a transporting path, and operated to transfer and laminate the photosensitive layer to the substrate.
A supply unit of the photosensitive layer laminator is loaded with one roll of the photosensitive material having a great length sufficient for a high number of sheets. A width of the photosensitive material is predetermined and depends on a width of a transfer region defined on the substrate. In operation, the photosensitive material is unwound from the roll, and subjected to half cutting to form cuts through the photosensitive layer according to a length of the substrate. Then the photosensitive material is fed to the path. The heat/pressure rollers transfer the photosensitive layer to the substrate, before the support film is peeled from the photosensitive layer to obtain the laminated panel.
Recently, display devices of an enlarged panel size have been widely available in any one of types including a liquid crystal display device, plasma display device and the like. A size of the substrate has been greater, to enlarge a width of a transfer region. The larger width of the transfer region requires a greater width of the photosensitive material. However, a roll size of the photosensitive material must be larger, to enlarge mechanisms for transporting the roll, and those for advancing the photosensitive material. A cost for modifying the photosensitive layer laminator will be considerably high. This is a serious problem inconsistent to reducing the manufacturing cost of a laminated panel as product. Also, a greater width of the photosensitive material causes problems in greater weight and more frequent occurrence of wrinkles. The handling of the photosensitive material becomes considerably difficult.